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Episode 21: National Flood Insurance Program 50 Year Anniversary Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) turned 50 years old this month and has seen its fair share of growth and noteworthy achievements to become what it is today. In this episode of the FEMA Podcast, we discuss the program with Carl Cook and Chuck Steele, both founding employees and program leaders of the NFIP. In this interview they discuss what it was like in the early days of the program and how they worked to grow the program and involve communities.

Episode 17: From The Bottoms To A Bluff Aug 03, 2018

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After 15 feet of floodwater inundated Valmeyer, Illinois in 1993, the town knew they wanted to revive the community, but in a smart, resilient way. On this episode, we talk to former Valmeyer mayor, Dennis Knobloch, and long-time local, Lucy Engbring, to learn how a community of determined residents and city leaders successfully moved their entire town two miles away, and 400 feet in the air.

Episode 19: 10 Years After Disaster - The University Of Iowa Stands Tall In Flood Protection Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

In the summer of 2008, the University of Iowa suffered a disaster beyond imagination. The usually scenic Iowa River that winds through campus became a formidable enemy to the state’s largest higher-education institution when it raged beyond its banks to historic flood levels, damaging more than 22 campus buildings. The university had to move quickly – not only to stay in business but to begin what would become an eight-year journey of recovery. University Architect Rod Lehnertz, who led the campus restoration, tells that story of recovery, the lessons learned and how the university is fighting back to minimize the impact of future floods.

Episode 18: Living History - How Two Devastating Disasters Changed Iowa And The Nation For The Better Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

The summers of 1993 and 2008 have one thing in common: Historic, devastating floods. The state of Iowa was severely impacted by both events. John Miller had a unique, front-row seat to both disasters – first as a FEMA Regional Administrator who oversaw the agency’s role in much of the 1993 flood recovery for four Midwestern states – and then as a local official for Black Hawk County, Iowa in 2008 when floods would again devastate the state. Hear his unique perspective of how two events, 15 years apart, caused changes to better protect lives and property, and the steps others can take to continue forging a more resilient nation.

Episode 16: Disaster Planning Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

On this episode, Josh Dozer, Director of the Planning and Exercise Division at FEMA Headquarters, joins the podcast for a look at how FEMA, and its partners, plan for a variety of disaster and emergency scenarios, including some you would expect, but others you might be surprised by. From hurricanes, to space weather, or tornadoes to Ebola - this episode of the FEMA podcast is all about disaster planning.

Episode 20: 10 Years After Disaster - A First-Hand Look At Iowa's Historic Flood Recovery Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

In the summer of 2008, much of the state of Iowa was under siege from tornadoes, severe storms and flooding. As a result, 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties were designated for federal disaster assistance. Beth Freeman experienced the 2008 flooding first-hand when her community of Cedar Rapids was devastated. She then went on to oversee FEMA funding for thousands of recovery projects throughout the state. Hear her story and how a decade of resilient actions has better prepared Iowa for future disasters.

Episode 14: Roundtable Discussion Live At The Youth Preparedness Council Summit Jul 18, 2018

Show notes

FEMA created the Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) in 2012 to bring together young leaders who are interested in supporting disaster preparedness and making a difference in their communities, by completing disaster preparedness projects nationally and locally. The YPC supports FEMA’s commitment to involve America’s youth in preparedness-related activities. It also provides an avenue to engage young people by taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions. On this episode of the FEMA Podcast, we sit down with members of the Council at the 2018 Youth Preparedness Council Summit to get their perspective on the importance of youth preparedness in America.

Episode 13: Waverly, Indiana – Transforming A Community With Vision, Determination … And Mitigation Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

How do you move a whole town out of harm’s way while preserving the town’s history and keeping it as a functional community space? For more than 100 years, a small riverside town in Waverly, Indiana, endured repeated flooding. By 2005, state and local officials began to address the problem, and over the last decade the community has transformed into a living history park with restored and reclaimed historical structures, added walking paths, canoe/kayak portage sites, and other amenities. We visited this transformed landscape to learn more about the FEMA hazard mitigation grants and additional state, local, and private sector funding that was used to acquire properties in the floodplain. Property owners voluntarily sold their property so the land could be returned to open space, reducing the amount of emergency response resources that are required during flood events in Morgan County.

Episode 12: Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Jun 25, 2018

Show notes

FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training teaches important life skills to that help individuals and communities better prepare for disasters or large events they may encounter.

Episode 11: Flood Insurance- Mandatory Purchase Requirement Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

Homes and businesses in high-risk flood areas with loans, including mortgages, from federally regulated lenders are required to have flood insurance. This is called a “mandatory purchase requirement” under the National Flood Insurance Program. On this episode of the FEMA Podcast we discuss this requirement in more detail and explain who is and who is not required to buy flood insurance.

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